Discouragement

If there ever was a man deeply familiar with discouragement, it was the Apostle Peter. Peter was a man who often acted in the flesh and had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth. You couldn't help loving the guy.

He was like a big, gregarious teddy bear who wore his feelings on his sleeve. He'd often say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Like the time Jesus is atop Mount Tabor with Peter, James, and John.

And it becomes the Mount of Transfiguration for Jesus is standing there, transfigured, speaking with Moses and Elijah. And Peter puts his foot in it and he interrupts them to say a dumb thing like, Wow, this is great. Let us make three tents so you men can camp out with us.

And God has to break in to say, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. But by then Peter had run Moses and Elijah off.

Or the time he tried to cut off Malchus's head, but as an excitement, he missed and just swiped off his ear. It seemed he was always doing things the wrong way or saying the wrong thing. And Jesus had to come back behind him and put it all right again.

Or his worst offense was boasting he'd go to death with Jesus because he loved him more than any of these elves in that little band of men. And we all know what transpired next with the curses and oaths of Peter denying he ever knew Jesus at all. And this is where we pick up our text today, friends.

We're going to be in John's Gospel in chapter 21. And we're going to talk about discouragement. Chapter 21 is the restitution of Peter.

Discouragement can come in the form of outward circumstances that are beyond our control. We thought something or someone in our life was all right. But quite unexpectedly, it becomes the very opposite and we become discouraged by these trying circumstances.

Or discouragement can occur from inward circumstances brought about by disobedience on our part to God. We sin rashly. And later, we're down in the dumps bemoaning the fact that we acted so stupidly in giving in to that instance of sin.

And the longer we stay out of fellowship with God, that discouragement deepens and grows. This is where Peter was in our text today. Peter is walking along with six other disciples by the Sea of Galilee.

And the text reads, Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, we also go with thee. Let me pause here to say, friends, some scholars say that Peter here is throwing in the towel, giving up the ministry and going back to his former job of being a fisherman.

Whether that's true or not, I don't know. But I do know how discouragement can come to a minister when he's ready to throw in the towel and walk away from it all and go back to a less demanding career. Most folks don't realize how underpaid and overworked most pastors are.

On top of all the pastoral duties and responsibilities, there are battles and divisions in the church. There's fights with some wicked deacons. There's always some fire that needs to be put out.

In addition, all that is the opposition of Satan, who's constantly at work with his two weapons of discouragement and disappointment coming against the ministry. If Satan can get you disappointed and discouraged, he knows you'll be in the dumps, and that's where he wants you. So Peter here is down in the dumps, and he wants to take his mind off things by going back to fishing, where he took enjoyment from that.

And he goes out, and the text says, And that night, they caught nothing. Discouragement added to discouragement. Have you ever been there, friend? Do you know what I'm talking about? Are you there now? Well, there's good news in our pastor today, because Jesus shows up just in the nick of time, which Jesus does.

He seems to always show up just in the nick of time. Isn't it amazing? When things look off in their bleakest, and all hope seems to evaporate like the morning dew, then God shows up and changes everything. On the dark background of this text, we read with delight, But when morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore.

Oh, heavens, take notice of such wonder. Jesus was now come. Isn't he your answer, friends? Isn't he your help? Jesus had come in their midst.

Oh, my friends, that's what true revival is, when Jesus shows up in his manifest presence. I was preaching at a church that experienced a touch of heaven, and after the Sunday service, we were all astonished by what had transpired. And the music minister approached me with a wide grin, and this is what he said, I saw Jesus sitting on his throne.

That's what the man said. And is not that his rightful place, friend? Should Christ have his rightful place in our sanctuaries, in his preeminence? Should he not be Christ the Lord and have his rightful place in our personal lives, in his prominence? We must reestablish his prominence and preeminence in our midst today. Jesus stood on the shore, and suddenly it all changed.

Their empty net becomes the catch of a lifetime. They do as Jesus instructs, and they place their net on the right side of the ship. When we are in tune with God, he will direct us to be on the right side of our ship.

Look at the results of God's miracle in verses 10 and 11 in our text today, friends. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes, 153.

Let me pause here to say, God is a God who keeps detailed records of our lives right up to the last fish. Here our text reads there were 153 fish. These refer to the native fish in the Sea of Galilee, the Tilapia galilea, also known as St. Peter's fish.

These fish grow to 6 pounds. It's a big fish. But our text says the catch was not a normal catch of normal fish, but that the size of the fish were great fish.

God always does so much more than we ever anticipate because he's a super abundant God. He is a super duper God who does super duper things. And if you multiply 153 times 6, you come up with a weight of over 900 pounds.

Wow, that's a pretty big catch of fish. But it's the catch for career, friends, because these fish weigh more than the normal Tilapia galilea. We just assume each fish was 7 pounds, just a pound more as a great fish.

Then that's a catch of over a thousand pounds of delicious fish. Do you think these seasoned fishermen were excited over that? You bet they were. John and Andrew were giving high fives to Peter.

It's a scene, a celebration on the seashore that particular morning. And they are no longer discouraged. They are elated.

And in addition to all this, Jesus had a very specific reason to appear to one of his men that day. And this was Peter. If you read the rest of the narrative, you'll see that the disciples gather around.

And while they're eating, Jesus begins to go to work on Peter one on one. And that's how he works with us. Jesus will come to us in a one-on-one setting and deal with us and put us back together again.

Put us right in our lives so we can serve him again. He will reinstate us if we're down. He will encourage us if we're down in the dumps.

But he will do in a sanctifying way through his encouraging spirit how to make us more useful to him again and again. And Peter is given an opportunity to voice his love and devotion to Jesus here. Not once, but three times.

Because he had denied Jesus three times. And Jesus wants to put things right in his life again. Isn't it wonderful, friends, how when we're down in the dumps for whatever reason, that when Jesus shows up on the shore of our lives, on our own personal seashore, he makes it all right again.

And not only that, our walk with him is deepened and strengthened. Our faith is encouraged. He is a wonderful savior.

He is a rock higher than I. He is a fortress, our buckler, our strength, our deliverer, our high tower and horn of our salvation. So says Psalm 18. Listen, friends.

Jesus will give us encouragement when we are down. Jesus will lift us up and put us back on the right side of our lives. Why? Because Jesus is not only worthy, he is worth it.

Let us bless his holy and wonderful name.